The Guardian Dog
by ieevee
Summary: Inuyasha and the company get in a fight against a demon, in which Inuyasha gets seperated from his friends, wounded, leaving him half blind, mute, and with his memory gone. He gets sold into a castle as a worker. Kagome and the others go to look for him. Will they find him? How will Inuyasha manage his new life without knowing who he he is and where he came from?
1. Chapter 1 - Prologue

Okay now, first, before we get to the story, I have a few words. First, this story is pretty long, and I have ot finished on my computer, in my native language finnish. Translating isn't easy, and even though my english grades have always been A at school, I make grammar mistakes and there might be words that don't fit there or mean something else what I meant. So please, do correct my errors.  
Because this chapter is just the prologue, it is a bit short. But the following chapters will be longer, don't worry!  
And then, please review. If no-one reviews this, I wont carry on translating. By reviewing you show me that somebody even bothers to read this.  
All right, now to the story. Enjoy, review, make me happy! :)

The Guardian Dog

1 - Prologue

_It's not been a long time... A month, maybe? Anyway, it feels like it's been forever..._  
_It was just a normal day. Normal for me, pure fantasy book for other people. No one would ever believe me, if I told them that the old, dried well in our home yard can lead me 500 years back in time. And there I went, to the Feudal Japan, right after my school was over. I had been waited for. They told me Inuyasha had been cursing for hours since I was a bit late. He wanted to hurry to collect the shards of the Shikon jewel, so we all got on our way. We, meaning me, Kagome, the demon slayer Sango, the monk Miroku, Shippo the kitsune and Inuyasha the dog hanyou. We got into a fight with a demon, which wasn't anything new to us... But this demon was all different. It was huge, and we were having a hard time to kill it..._

"Kaze no..." Inuyasha lift his huge sword from the ground, swinged it, but put it back to it's sheath right away after noticing the demon had turned towards Kagome.  
"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted in shock and rushed to the girl, taking her on his back, running to the forest. He knew the demon would, and did come after them. The hanyou ran faster than ever. Suddenly he stopped and let Kagome off his back. He could hear the demon getting closer. He pushed the girl to a bush. The girl screamed a bit, but knew the hanyou didn't mean any harm - vice versa.  
"Kagome, you stay here and be quiet, so it won't find you. I promise", Inuyasha told Kagome, holding his hands in his owns. They were stained with dirt and blood, and their sharp claws dug into Kagome's hands, but the girl didn't take them back. She nodded and examined Inuyasha's face. He seemed to be scared and in pain. Did he really care so much about her?"  
"Whatever happens, Kagome, you won't move, you won't let out a sound, got it?" Inuyasha demanded, and the girl nodded. Inuyasha felt the ground shake under his feet. The demon was close. Now he had not a second to lose. The dog boyleft Kagome in her bush and ran off to face the demon.

As the demon arrived right in front of Inuyasha, the boy jumped towards it and scratched it with his claws.  
"Sankontesso!" he shouted as he attacked. But the demon was like nothing had happnened. It didn't mind the wounds it had had from Inuyasha's claws. And no matter how many times Inuyasha struck it, nothing helped.  
'Damn, what is it's weak spot...? It must not find Kagome...' Inuyasha started running a small path throuhg the forest. The demon came after him, and Inuyasha kept on running. 'I've got lead it away from here... Far away...'

For a long time Inuyasha ran the path. Finally he stopped on a meadow, which was far enough from Kagome. Now he could finish the demon! Or that was how he wished.  
The demon slashed Inuyasha with it's claws, but missed. Inuyasha was as fast as an arrow, but couldn't avoind attacks forever. After a few dozen slashes the demon finally struck Inuyasha. It's huge claws slashed Inuyasha from his left eye all way to his chest, cutting his eye, cheek, throat and chest open like paper.

Kagome was still hiding in the bush. She heard a bloodgurdling shout from somewhere far away. She started crying. But she had promised Inuyasha. She wouldn't move nor let out a sound.  
'Inuyasha...' Kagome almost looked out from the bush, but suddenly decided she wouldn't want to see this. She had no idea how far Inuyasha had gone.

Inuyasha was thrown against a tree and collapsed on it's roots breathing heavily. After laying there he got up shaking, leaning against the tree.  
'I... can't give up now... Kagome...' Inuyasha thought. His throat had been torn apart, and every breath he took made it scatter blood. His left eye was blind, he couldn't see anything with it. But as long as he could move, and see with one eye, he could fight. But now it was unclear was Inuyasha fighting for Kagome's safety or from his own life.  
In spite of horrible pain Inuyasha reached his hands towards his sword, pulling it out from it's sheath. It transformed from the old, rusty katana into a huge blade in a blink of an eye.  
'Kaze no ki...' Inuyasha flinched. He tried to say it out loud. He said it! He did! But no wound was heard. No matter how hard he tried to scream, no. Nothing. Inuyasha put his sword back to it's sheath and gulped.  
'Keh. If this is how it ends...' Inuyasha started to run towards the demon his claws ready to attack. '...I won't die for nothing!'

The sun sat, the sky was filling from black clouds and it started to rain. Kagome was still in her bush, crying. She knew nothing about what had happened to Inuyasha, or was he still fighting, but something inside her told her that everything wasn't okay.  
"Kagome-sama!" Miroku was calling out from somewhere. Kagome awoke and opened her eyes. She saw a light nearby. Kagome got up came out ot the bush.  
"There she is!" shouted Sango, who was walking with Miroku and Shippo. They were soaked and there were blood stains in their clothes, but they seemed unhamed.  
"Kagome!" the little kitsune Shippo cried out.  
"Are you okay?"  
"Where is Inuyasha?"  
"I-I don't know..." Kagome stammered. "He wen't after the big demon and hasn't returned yet..."  
"He will", Sango said calm and laid her hand on Kagome's shoulder. "Don't worry."

Far from them Inuyasha was laying on muddy road. The demon had knocked him out, so he was now unconcious, and had been for a while. He was bleeding, and his blood was mixed with the water and mud on the ground. It was a miracle that he was alive. He hadn't finished the demon, but the demon hadn't killed him, just left him unconcous, probably thinking he was dead. But Inuyasha wouldn't die this easy. He would make it.

The rain got heavy. Inuyasha hadn't moved an inch, nor waken up. But slowly he was getting back concious. First everything was black, but finally he could see again with his right eye. He didn't even try to get up, since he knew he couldn't do it.  
'What the hell has happened...? And where am I?' Inuyasha wondered. His head was empty. His memories were gone, and he had no idea what had happened, or what day it was. He did remember his name was Inuyasha. But if someone would ask him, who is Naraku, he would just shrug. He had lost his memory, but of course couldn't know it himself.  
'And why am I in this condition?' the hanyou asked himself, but fainted again, because he had lost too much blood.

The next time Inuyasha woke up was when his instincs started to warn him from danger. There were three people standing around him, talking. Inuyasha couldn't see who they were, so just laid still like he would be dead.  
"It clearly is a hanyou, but eeven more clearly about to die", one man said. "Should we really...?"  
"Of course. It will make it. And if not, we wont lose anything."  
"Shall we take it? What if it already has it's master?"  
"Minor point. Take it with us."  
'What...?' Inuyasha thought as he felt someone carrying him away. Whoever it was, Inuyasha didn't care. He was sue he would die soon. Things couldn't get any worse, so whatever.

_After he left me into the bush, I haven't seen him. But I promise myself and him that I wil find him. I won't rest before I find him. I don't care about my studies. His life is more important. I will stay here, in Feudal era, and find him. Even if it takes a year or many of them, I will find him._


	2. Chapter 2 - The New Home

2 - The New Home

Inuyasha laid in a wooden wagon. There were stacks of hay here and ther. There were metal chains on the walls, which were attached to the prisoners of the wagon. There were about six or eight hanyous here, all chained up and in too weak condition to get off. Inuyasha, too, was chained like mutt dog, but that was his smallest problem. He still remembered nothing else than his name, his left eye was blind, and he was unable to say anything. The deep wound on his throat couldn't heal as Inuyasha's body was wasting away. He hadn't eaten for days. He had no idea how long he had been here.

Inuyasha curled up on the floor. Every tiny little move made the wound on his throat feel like it was on fire. He looked pitiful. As said, he was badly wounded, with dried blood here and there. He was thin and pale, and couldn't walk on his own. He was too weak to do anything. And he wasn't the only one. There had been one more hanyou before, but he had died from sickness a day or two ago. Inuyasha had never seen this many hanyous. He wanted to find out what this all meant.

One hanyou moved and got closer to Inuyasha. She was very young, maybe just a five-year-old girl. She seemed to be a some kind of a bird hanyou, since every here and there she had black feathers growing out of her skin.  
"Inu-kun..." the bird girl whimpered and leaned against Inuyasha's side. This disturbed Inuyasha, but he couldn't push the girl away. He even couldn't say anything mean to her, as he was mute. Even if he tried to shout as loud as he could, not a sound came out. The only sound he could let out was a quiet dog whimper, but that wouldn't help now. He was sure he would die soon. But he didn't care. If he just would get out of here.

Suddenly one of the wagon's walls opened, and daylight came in. All the hanyous covered their eyes from the light, as a few human men came in. Inuyasha heard steps getting coser to him, and the little girl next to him was taken away. Inuyasha heard the chains being taken off the walls, and every hanyou being dragged out of the wagon. A strong hand squeezed Inuyasha's slender wrist and pulled him up. But right when the hand let go of him, the boy collapsed on the floor.  
"This one here! What should we do with it?" a man shuouted. Inuyasha's right eye was getting used to daylight. The other was still blind, and Inuyasha had given up hope for it getting better. He was now permanently half blind and mute.  
"Bring it here and I'll see about it!" another man shouoted from somewhere.  
"Get up now", the man said pulled Inuyasha up from his wrist. "Stand up!" But as Inuyasha collapsed again, the man gave up. "This one is too weak to be sold! It can't even stand on it's own!"  
"Then carry it here, goddamnit!"  
The man took Inuyasha on his back and stepped out of the wagon. Now Inuyasha was getting a little picture of where he was. This was some kind of a village, which was full of people. People wearing beautiful kimono's were walking around small booths and huts, while behind them stood poor people, selling clothes, food and handcrafts. This was some kind of a marketplace.

"Look at this, boss!" We can't sell it like this!" the man carrying Inuyasha said and threw him in front of the other hanyous.  
"Inu-kun!" the bird girl cried out rushed to his side. Inuyasha had no idea why this girl was so attached to him.  
"Maybe not, but we can always try..." the other man, boss, said.

The hanyous were pulled as a pack in front of a hut and were chained to a tree. None of them knew, what would happen next. But after a while everything was getting clear to Inuyasha; the men who had kidnapped him and the others were youkai hunters. Inuyasha had heard of them... but couldn't remember, from who. They didn't kill youkais or hanyous, but sold them as slaves and workers in rich houses and castlles, which was a very good business.  
"Hello, everyone! Hanyous for sale!" the boss shouted, and people gathered around them. Hours went by as the sun got up to the sky and was slowly starting to get down. All of the hanyous were sold. Everyone, except Inuyasha. He was disgusted of how he and his kind were sold like animals. They weren't anything less than humans, even if boss and his employees let the other people think so.  
"The last hanyou to go!" the boss announced and pointed at the dog hanyou, laying on the tree's roots. "It's a dog hanyou, which mean it's great for work and protection, after you tame it! So, any bids?"  
"10000 yens" someone shouted.  
"10000 yens, was that a joke?! This boy is worth at least five times that much! It is very strong, and unlike hanyous usually, this one is beautiful! Look at it's face and hair! Not a bit deformed, and even normal humans size!"  
"That scrawny pup is just a pitiful sight, if you aske me", an old womans voice said from somewhere.  
"Wait, Hinote-sama...!" a younger woman's voice cried out as the old lady walked out of the crowd. She crouched in front of Inuyasha and gave a look at him.  
"I wouldn't say this poor boy is wort even 100 yens", she said. "No-one buys a worker who dies within a few days with a high price."  
"Heh, old lady! You don't seem to know a thing about hanyous, eh? Hanyous can survive from almost everything, so this one will be fine. 80000 yens and...!" the boss explained, but the lady didn't even listen.  
"I'll give you 20000 yens", she said.  
"But-!"  
"20000, no more."  
The boss said nothing for a while. Finally he sighed and nodded, saying:  
"Alright, alright, 20000 yens and it's yours. Deal?"  
Before answering the woman turned back at Inuyasha, who was just coughing up blood on his hand. Now she could really see in how bad condition the boy was.  
"The boy is not only badly wounded, but also very malnourished. I wonder it he has ever even seen food", the old woman said, giving an angry look at the boss. "Tell me, son, what's your name?" the lady asked Inuyasha. Hayou just gave her back a pitiful look, without a sound.  
"Please don't tell me that..." the lady started, but the boss interrupted:  
"Yes, it sees like it can't talk..." he sighed. "but maybe it would be possible to teach it..."  
Now the old woman seemed angry. She got on her feet and marched in front of the boss.  
"So you, young man, are trying to sell a half-dead, half-blind, mute and stolen hanyou in the price of tens of thousands of yens?!"  
The crowd murmured at the word 'stolen'. The boss seemed a bit surprised.  
"Hmph, what do you mean 'stolen'?" he hissed.  
"This", the old lady said while holding the rosary around Inuyasha's neck. "This means he has had a master of his own. But I'll still pay you 980 yens for this."  
"30000", the boss demanded.  
"1000."  
"20000!"  
"3000."  
"ALRIGHT! OKAY! 3000 yens, and it's your's!" the boss shouted, annoyed. Inuyasha was taken off the chains and pushed on the ground at the old woman's feet. She pulled Inuyasha up and took him on her back.  
"Alright now... It's okay..." the old lady said camly.  
'Why is she doing this?' Inuyasha wondered in his head.  
"Hinote-sama!" the same young woman cried out. A young chinese girl ran to them with two other hanyous with her. Inuyasha flinched. Both of them had been in the same wagon as he himself, and one of them was that llittle bird girl, who was always clinging on to him. But the other hanyou he couldn't regcognise. He was maybe a few years older than him. He had black, pretty short and tangled hair. His skin was very pale. He was wearing a cheap, black kimono and hakamas. He had a black tail.  
"Why did you buy that one, Hinote-sama?" the chinese girl asked. "It's too weak...:"  
"That's just why I bought it", the old lady, Hinote, said. "I just couldn't look at his misery. He will be in better hands now."  
"L-let me..." the chinese girl pleaded and tried to take Inuyasha on her back, but Hinote just shook her head.  
"Nonsense, Yun. Are trying to tell me I'm too old?" Hinote asked with a bit humouristic voice, which made Yun blush a bit. "And after all, this runt weighs nothing..."

The group got on their way. It seemed that there were a big crowd here. Hinote and Yun led the hanyous after the rest of the crowd. Inuyasha listened carefully to every word and sound, and realized soon, that all these people were from the same castle, in which they were as workers. It seemed that had been sent off to the marketplace for shopping. But why did they buy three hanyous?  
And why did those two other follow the crowd voluntarily? As much as Inuyasha wanted to, he couldn't run away in his condition, but those two could have ran away any moment they wanted, even if they, too, were weak and wounded.

They walked all day. The little girl hanyou couldn't walk anymore, so now she was happily sitting on Yun's back. Every now and then she gave a look at Inuyasha, who was still being carried by Hinote. The litle girl grinned happily.  
The the black haired hanyou boy, who was walking last of the group, sure didn't smile. He kept a distance at the humans. Inuyasha had finally realized, what kind of a hanyou he was. He was a wolf hanyou. Inuyasha could tell it from his smell, even though he didn't remember he had ever met a wolf hanyou or youkai. Strange...

It was late at night when the group arrived to a lit road. After walking it for a few minutes they got to a huge, japanese castle. Inuyasha had never seen so big castle. Although he wasn't sure if he even HAD ever seen a castle. But somehow he felt he had.  
The castle was surrounded by beautiful, japanese gardens with cherry trees and small fountains. The castle was so big Inuyasha couldn't even see it all, as it disappeared to the night. In the castles yard there was a small but beautiful temple, and in front of it there were two stone dragons.

The group got in from the castle's doors as the guards bowed at them. But when they saw the hanyous, they seemed disgusted. Hinote noticed that and stopped.  
"And don't you show them faces like that!" she said harshly. "They are working here now."  
"A-alright..." the gurads said.  
'Working...?' Inuyasha wondered.

The group scattered into the castle's corridors and disappeared behind beautifully painted sliding doors. Hinote and Yun led the hanyou group into one of these rooms. Behind the door was a normal, japanese styled room; nothing really inside. Two out of four walls were actually wardrobes, one led to the main corridor, and the last one led to the garden.

Hinote put Inuyahsa down on the floor, and instantly the little girl ran to him and grabbed his arm. Inuyasha growled guietly, but couldn't scare the girl away. The wolf boy stepped to them grumpily and sat down next to them.  
"All right", Hinote started. "This will be your room. You sleep here, there are mattresses and blankets in the wardrobes. This room is in the servant's wing, and you must not enter the quality wing, unless you're told so. Am I making myself clear?"  
The little girl nodded fast, Inuyasha and the wolf hanyou didn't do anything.  
"Listen. This is your new home now. You belong to me, but above all to the master of this castle, and his daughter, the princess. You do everything I and they say, but also all other workers. You are the lowest caste. Understood?"  
Now all hanyous nodded. Inuyasha didn't really mind being called someone's property. Let them call him their property, let them think he stayed here because they say so. Truly Inuyasha didn't belong to anybody.  
"Good", Hinote nodded and sat in front of them. She waved Yun to sit next to her, and then turned back to the hanyous. "My name is Hinote, and I am the priestess of this castle. She is Yun", she said and the chinese girl nodded with a smile, "and she is a servant. She, too, is of a higher caste than you, which means you obey her. Now, tell your names."  
The little girl hesitated for a moment and pressed against Inuyasha, when the dog boy pushed away.  
'Get off you annoying brat!' Inuyahsa cursed in his head. Then the girl got up and introduced herself:  
"I am Karasu, crow hanyou, five years old!"  
Yun and Hinote smiled at the girl being so energetic and nodded.  
"Kuromeru, wolf hanyou 18 years old", the black haired boy said. Now it would be Inuyasha's turn. For a few minutes the whole room waited for his answer.  
"Is it true that you can't talk?" Hinote asked Inuyasha, who gave no sort of an answer. He would love to tell his name; after all, it was all he could remember. But he couldn't. Hinote sighed.  
"Have you talked before?" she asked and Inuyasha nodded. "So you have? That's too bad..."  
"What do you mean, Hinote-sama?" Yun wondered.  
"If you had never talked before, that would have meant I could maybe have taught you... Can you read or write?" Hinote asked, and Inuyasha shook his head slowly. Moving his head was painful because of his wound. Again Hinote sighed, deep. 'This is difficult... A servant, who you can't communicate with...'

"Yun, make beds to them and make sure none of them goes wild or escapes. I'll be back soon", Hinote said and left the room, leaving only silence after her.  
"Hinote-sama!" Yun cried out, but the priestess was gone. Yun seemed helpless and scared. No wonder, since the wolf hanyou Kuromeru could have killed her any moment if he'd wanted to. But he just sat next to Inuyasha and stared at Yun.  
"U-um... Well..." Yun stammered, but turned fast towards the wardrobes and started taking out the mattresses and blankets. Again Karasu managed to grab Inuyasha's hand, and Inuyasha would have given anything to be able to say something as scary and cruel to the girl as possible.  
"All done!" Yun shouted as she had finished making the three beds on the floor.

After a while Hinote returned to the room with a wooden box. There were bandages and medical herbs in it. Also, behind her came a servant girl, who was carrying a bucket of water and towels.  
"You are all badly wounded", Hinote said and sat next to Inuyasha. "I shall wash you and take care of your wounds."

First Hinote cleaed Inuyasha's smallest wounds, which his chest and arms were full of. Meanwhile Yun took care of Karasu's and Kuromeru's wounds.  
"You know..." Hinote sighed as she put some strong smeling salve on the deep wound on his throat. "Where have you got this wound from?"  
Inuyasha stared at the old lady with an annoyed gaze. Hinote sighed.  
"What am I to do with you? If you can't talk, you cannot be put in any kind of a work."  
"What if the master of the castle wont give him a job?" Yun asked behind their backs while she was bandaging Kuromeru's arm.  
"Yes..." Hinote nodded slowly. "Then I will."  
Inuyasha looked over his shoulder at Hinote and growled.  
"Don't you growl at me, kid!" the old lady said harshly. "You obey me and everyone else, is that understood?"  
'She's got guts..." Inuyasha thought and nodded a bit grumpy.  
"Good boy", Hinote smiled and pet Inuyasha's shoulder.

After the wounds were treated, it was time for their bloody and muddy clothes to get washed. Yun took the hanyous' clothes with her and came back soon with a stack of kimonos and hakamas with her. They weren't beautifully ornated or silky, but a lot better than nothing.  
"You will get back your own clothes after they are washed. These will do untill then", Hinote explained and gave the clothes to the hanyous. Inuyasha got a perfect copy of his white kimono he wore under his fire rat, and red hakama-pants. He dressed up slowly, minding his wounds. Kuromeru got the same kimono as Inuyasha, but his hakamas were black.  
"And how about you, little one.." Hinote mumbled while going through the pile of clothes. "We dont have clothes this small, so you'll have to use these..." she said and handed over the smallest pair of clothes to Karasu. That, too, was like a tent to her, but it would be fine untill she'd get her own clothes back.

Then the new arrivals were left to have a little rest. Inuyasha slept curled up on his mattress, Karasu sleeping tight by his side. Inuyasha didn't bother to shake her awaya anymore, because no matter how many times Inuyasha had shooken her off, she would just come back. He was too weak to throw the girl out of the door to the garden. But if he could, he would.  
Kuromeru sat at the sliding door and stared at the dark garden. He hadn't said anything else than his name this evening. Maybe he was a bit silent nature.  
After a while Hinote came in Yun after her. The chinese woman had a tray in her hands, on which were three smallish cups of rice and pairs of chopsticks. Hinote lit up the room by lighting a candle, which woke Karasu up. The crow girl got up, waking also Inuyasha up in a painful way; kicking his chest.  
"A little food and rest, and you'l be fine in no time", Hinote said as she gave the rice cups to the hanyous. Inyasha was still laying on his mattress, but got slowly up.  
Karasu tried her best to eat with her chopsticks, but no. She had always eaten with bare hands, so she threw the chopsticks on the floor.  
"Stupid sticks!" Karasu shouted and started shovel the rice into her mouth.  
"She must be taught to stay calm", Hinote said. "Yun, help her out. And Karasu", she said and got the girl's attention. "Try to behave. Because if you don't, the castle's master won't give you a job.  
Karasu nodded with her mouth full of rice. Yun took the chopsticks in her hands and showed the little one, how to hold them.  
Hinote stepped to Inuyasha and sat down by his mattress, giving the cup to him.  
"Do you think you can eat?" the old lady asked. First Inuyasha backed off a little with a puppy whiper. But after he smelled the heavenly scent of cooked rice, he took the cup in his shaking hands and started to eat. And oh lord, how delicious the food was! He hadn't eaten in, like, a week!  
"Are you a bit shy, eh?" Hinte asked with a giggle. What? Inuyasha, shy? This lady would have a lot to learn about him!  
"But listen up, son", Hinote said as she snapped her fingers in front of the hypnotically rice-eating dog boy. "All of you, listen! I will take care of you back to good health, but after that you'll have to earn your food and shelter here, and it will mean hard work. And I won't be anyone for you to come cry and whine. You will take care of yourselves, understood?"  
All hanyous nodded.  
"Excellent."


	3. Chapter 3 - The Rules of the House

3 - The Rules of the House

After a filling meal at midnight, all three hanyous went to sleep. And no matter what Inuyasha did, Karasu didn't give him any choice but to let her sleep right beside him. So Inuyasha gave up, and they slept side by side all night.

The next morning the wake-up was ealry. The sun hadn't rised yet, but it was obvious that the workers and servants of the castle had to get up early.  
Hinote slammed the hanyou's room's sliding door open and marched in.  
"Up, get up, everyone!" she commanded loud, and all the hanyous sat up instantly. "You cannot sleep as long as you want to! Here you will wake up every morning before the sun rises. You must get used to it!"  
"But what if I really can't get up yet..." Karasu yawned and rubbed her eyes.  
"Get up", Hinote said and helped the girl get one her feet. "The castle's master is waiting for you."  
'The castle's master...?' all three hanyous thought at the same time.

"Listen up", Hinote said as she combed Karasu's hair. "The master of the castle expects obeidence from his servants. You sit in a row before him, don't get up before he says so, and don't say a word, unless you're asked something. Understood?"  
Inuyasha growled, which Hinote heard.  
"I will explain your situation to him", the old lady said. "And he will explain you your jobs."

As the hanyou's room was cleaned and mattresses put back to the wardrobes, Hinote opened the sliding door that led to the main corridor. Servants were running everywhere. Hinote looked at the hanyou's, who stood behind her, Inuyasha leaning to the wall.  
"Can you walk yet?" Hinote asked, and Inuyasha nodded. So they got on their way. They walked through corridors and passed endless sliding doors, behind which they heard talking and music.  
"Memorize these corridors. You must learn to know the castle, every single room and hall. You must also know where you're allowed to know and where not to. The servant's wing is free for you to go to, as long as you don't enter other rooms than your own. As I told you yesterday, the quality wing is forbidden for you to go, unless you're given a task to take of there. You must not go to the gardens or the temple without permission, which you can ask from me", Hinote told. The hanyou's heads were aching from all the information.

Finally the group arrived before a big sliding door. Hinote stopped the hanyous behind her and shushed. She knocked the door. Behind the door a voice said "come in". Hinote opened the door.  
The group stepped into a huge hall. In it's other end sat a man, wearing beautiful kimonos. He sent the geishas and servants in the room away, leaving only the guards in. The hanyous stood still, helpless.  
"Now, go, go!" Hinote whispered as led the hanyous to set a few meters away from the castle's master. Hinote bowed, sat next to Karasu and whispered:  
"Bow!"  
Karasu showed some good example to the boys and bowed to deep she almost hit her forehead to the floor. Unwillingy both Inuyasha and Kuromeru bowed.  
"Good morning, milord", Hinote greeted while Karasu waved with a smile.  
"Why, good morning, Hinote", the master greeted. She had a look at the row of hanyous before him. "And these are the hanyous I ordered you to buy?"  
"Yes, milord. They are still a bit weak and exhausted, but..."  
"Were they the last ones aviable? And why three? I ordered to get two."  
"Yes, they were the last ones. Yun thought that the little girl would be better than the dog eared one, because she thought he would die... But I thought, that..."  
"Don't think, but do as I say", the master said. "Yun was given strict instructions to get two hanyous able to work. That little girl is useless." After saying so the master got up and got closer to the hanyous. He examined them with his eyes and crouched in front of Karasu.  
"Tell me your name, girl", he ordered.  
"Karasu!" the little girl shouted. "I'm a crow hanyou, five years old!"  
"I see", the master nodded. "Are you powerful? Can you fight?"  
The girl shook her head and shrugged at the same time.  
"You'll be taken to the ktichen to work. You'll clean and help at cooking. As your wage you'll earn your food and shelter from here."  
No sane human would do such a work without any money as a wage. That was one reason they had bought hanyous as workers. Hanyous didn't really care care about money, since they usually lived in forests like animals.

The master moved to the next hanyou in the row, which mas Kuromeru.  
"And you are?"  
"Kuromeru, 18-year-old wolf hanyou", Kuromeru told.  
"What about you, can you fight? Even well? Are you experienced?"  
"Yes, yes and yes."  
"In that case you're hired", the master noded and looked at Inuyasha. "I'll tell you both your jobs, as I assume you're strong too, dog boy. Tell me, what's you'r name?"  
After sitting quietly Inuyasha turned his head towards Hinote. So did the master, raising his eyebrow.  
"Can't you hear me? Tell me your name", the master repeated to Inuyasha.  
"Ehh, milord... He is mute", Hinote told. The master stared at Inuyasha disparagingly, which Inuyasha didn't like, and made him growl quietly. Kuromeru poked his side with his elbow.  
"And also, his left eye is blind, but he will be a very good worker after a few days of rest. The seller said he is very strog..." Hinote tried to explain.  
The master said nothing for a while, but returned his seat, sighing.  
"Hinote, I know your helping nature, and that you wanted to save that one from the youkai hunters. But you should know me well enough to know I don't like to hire disabled people. And never disabled hanyous. Keeping hanyous overall is far from pleasing."  
"But-!"  
"No buts. He will not get wage from me, nor food from our kitchen, so you either keep him with your own money or throw him out. You're the one who bought him, after all."  
Inuyasha's ears went drooping. Maybe for a moment he would have wished to get hired here. That's all he had at the moment. No memories of a famiy, or had he ever even had a one? No memories of friends, who might miss him, or home where to return.  
"Milord, please give him a chance", Hinote pleaded. The master looked straight into Inuyasha's eyes; other was angry, other pale gray.  
"Hmph. I'll see if I could find him a job. But don't get your hopes up. I won't endanger the whole castle's safety by letting him slash demons half-blinded. But you, Kuromeruu, get the job", the master said. "You see, our castle has been attacked by demons for a long time..."

The castle's master carried on his story. Months ago the workers of the castle had started to find some shards of the Shikon jewel from the forest surrounding them while they were looking for plants for medicine and to eat. They had 12 shards at the moment, and they lured demons like a magnet. There weren't very many soilders in the castle, and it was a pure miracle they had managed to defend the castle till today. Kuromeru's job was simply to gurad the castle and it's surroundings, and take care of possible intruder-demons. This would give him a better status in the castle, food, shelter and 1000 yens a month, which, too, was rediculously little.

After the works were given, three servant girls came to get Karasu, and took her to get cleaned up. After that she would be taken to get to know the house, and to start her work at the kitchen.  
"But milord, isn't the girl still a bit too young..." Hinote hesitated as Karasu was led out of the room.  
"Nonsense. She can take care of smaller chores a first. And as she grows, she will become a great servant."

Kuromeru was left to talk with the master, but Inuyasha followed Hinote back to the servant's wing. He was very depressed and dissapointed, maybe a bit angry too. Somehow that what he just experienced made his blood boil. The fact that he was treated inferior to others. Had he experienced it before?

The servant's wing was getting familiar to Inuyasha, so he knew to stop at the hanyous room's door. But as his surprise Hinote didn't stop, but walked by it and waved Inuyasha to follow. She led the hanyou to a big room, which wasn't far away. There she, Yun and half of the castle's women servant's slept. The old lady and Inuyasha went in, and Hinote closed the door after them.  
"Sit down", the lady said and Inyasha sat down in his dog posture. "Well, that's it then... He didn't hire you..."  
Inuyasha nodded grumpily.  
"Oh, dont take it personally", Hinote comforted him. "This place is not easy to get to work... But now, make your decision."  
'Decision?' Inuyasha thought.  
"As I told you before, you can stay here. If the master changes his mind, and gives you a job, you do that. If not, and you still want to stay, you could work for me. And what kind of work? You would protect me while I wander around the forests where the demons roam. Also you would help carrying things and so on. Even if the master didn't trust your powers, I do", Hinote said encouraging. "But if you want to, you may return to your old master. I'm not going to stop you."  
'My old... master? Have I had...?' Inuyasha wondered in his head. This emptiness in his head was getting on his nerves! He knew there were so many things he should remember, but what?! What was that strange voice that called his name in his head? Or what made him recognize scents, and what made him feel he had seen those "Shikon shards" before? Who was he missing?

Well, whatever, Inuyasha knew he had to give some kind of an answer. He thought for a while, and turned at the old lady with a small smile on his face.  
"Mmh? You're staying?" Hinote asked, and Inuyasha nodded. He felt he had no choice. Hinote smiled, since she was actually happy that he decided to stay.  
"All right. But in that case..." she said and grabbed the rosary on Inuyasha's neck. "...you must forget your old master, and these will have to be removed." After saying that the lady took the rosasy off, but Inuyasha didn't really react. He had already forgot his 'old master', so no worries about. He also didn't remember the purpose of them, but something inside him told him to rejoice of them being taken off.  
Then something woke up inside him. Like he had seen a priestess before...

"But, because you don't seem all well yet, I will give you leisure today", Hinote smiled. "You can now go to the garden and stay near the castle, but you mustn't go further than the road or the river. They are your boudaries. Understood?"  
Inuyasha nodded. He really wasn't feeling at his best yet, but was eager to go have a look around.

'There was the hall of the master...' Inuyasha membered as he walked by that door. He sniffed around and picked up his ears to listen what the master was telling Kuromeru in the hall. Something like fighting strategies or something else unnecessary. Inuyasha carried on.

Then a small crowd of girls met Inuyahsa on the corridor. Others were clearly servants, but one stood out with her beautiful kimonos. They giggled at their jokes, but after they noticed Inuyasha, they stopped on their tracks and...  
"HEEELP! Guards! A demon!" one of the servants screamed in horror. And in a few seconds a small army of guards appeared to the scene.  
"Look out! It may attack in a blink of an eye...!"  
"Let's not give it a chance, get-!"  
"Wait a minute!" one of the guards said suddenly and dropped his spear. "This... this one is one of those half-bloods that were bought here yesterday!"  
'Half-blood?!' Inuyasha started growling. The guards got a bit scared, and didn't even consider putting down their spears.  
"I-it's attacking!"  
"It's dangerous!"  
"Should we ask the master to get rid of this..."  
"Hey, please wait", the girl wearing beautiful kimonos said and stepped out of the group near Inuyasha. "I don't believe he will attack you if you don't point him with weapons..."  
'How dare she... Talk about me like some animal!' Inuyasha growled angry. But the girl just looked at him, smiling (like to a puppy, which made Inuyasha just more angry) and got even closer to him. She reached her hand hand towards Inuyasha's head and the hanyou tried to back off, but the girl managed to touch his ear.  
"Heh, these are adorable!" the girl giggled while petting his ears. Inuyasha broke away from her grasp as red as a chilipepper. He ran away and disappeared behind the corner. The whole group, servants, guards and the girl stared behind him.  
"Princess..." one of the guards said as the girl sat on the floor, entranced. "Princess Migoto..."  
'He was so... cute and handsome... That hair and those eyes...' the princess sighed herself, forgetting the world around her. 'I have to get to know him better...'

Inuyasha had just ran off the castle like tornado and was now sitting in a cherry tree that grew in the garden. He was still thinking of what had just happened. Being poked with spears, getting treated like an animal, and that wench... YUCK!  
Also... something inside him made him feel like cheater. What on earth? He didn't have a girlfriend to cheat on! Nothing even close to it! He didn't care of anybody! Or... Why did he feel like de did?

"Hey! There you are!" a familiar woman's voice called out from the ground. Inuyasha looked down from the tree branch and saw Yun, the chinese servant, standing on the roots of the tree, waving someone towards her. Hinote was standing on the other side of the garden.  
"Hinote-samaaaa! I found Mokumoku-chan!"  
'Mokumoku-chan?!' Inuyasha screamed in his head. WHO was Mokumoku-chan? Him?!  
"Mokumoku, eh?" Hinote asked amused after she got to the tree roots. "Did you hear, son? You've got a name!"  
Inuyasha sat grumpily on the branch, since he didn't like his new name. At all. But in the other hand, it suited him, as 'Mokumoku' meant mute or silet in Japanese language.  
"Listen up, Mokumoku", Hinote called out. "Get down, so I don't need do shout!"  
Inuyasha just flicked his ears, trying to show the old lady he could hear her. But Hinote shouted again:  
"Get down!"  
Inuyasha sighed and jumped off the tree, landing on the ground in front of Hinote.  
"From now on you obey me without hesitating, am I making myself clear?" Hinote asked harsh and snapped Inuyasha's forehead with her fingers. "Well, anyway; the castle's master just announced me he has found you a job."

In fact, two jobs. First, he should watch the house like a dog, go around the castle and kill demons. The other would be maybe easier, but a bit a bit humiliating. He would be helping the cleaners and cookers by carrying water buckets from the river to the castle and help the castle's cleaners. But if those jobs would give him food and shelter, then why not?

First Yun led Inuyasha to the castle's kitchen. The dog boy could have found his way there by himself, since he could smell the rice from the other side of the castle. Yun knocked the kitchens door and waited.  
"What is it now again?" a grumpy lady came from the door. She was the kitchen's housekeeper. "Ah, Yun. And what, one more half-blood?!" the woman snapped at Inuyasha, who crowled back.  
"Master ordered him to work here", Yun said. "Wouldn't you appreciate more workers?"  
"Well, actually..." the woman nodded and let Inuyasha and Yun in. "The master is so damn greedy hiring new workers..."  
Tens and tens of people were doing their jobs. Someones washed dishes, dried them, someones cooked food. Inuyasha stopped as he noticed Karasu, sitting in a corner, doing nothing. She seemed sad, like she had cried. Suddenly she noticed Inuyasha, got up and ran to him.  
"Inu-kun! You came for me!" Karasu shouted happy, hugging Inuyasha's arm. "I don't want to peel potatoes nomore..." Inuyasha sighed and rolled his eyes.  
"You hanyou brat, back to work!" someone called out. Karasu let go of Inuyasha, sighed sad and disappeared to the crowd.

"Doggydoggy, get here!" the housekeeper shouted.  
"Mokumoku, his name is Mokumoku, not Doggydoggy!" Yun corrected harsh as Inuyasha walked to them.  
"Whatever..." the housekeeper sighed and guided Inuyasha out of the door. There he was introduced to about then wooden buckets, which should be filled.  
"You do know, where the river is, do you, pup? You go there and fill these all. And don't you dare brake a one bucket, we've got no spare one's! Are you even listening?!" the housekeeper shouted.  
'Okay, if I am Doggydoggy, you can be Yaddayadda!' Inuyasha growled, giving an angry look at the woman. She didn't wait a second, but slapped Inuyasha on his cheek as hard as she could.  
"And how am I supposed to read that?! GET TO WORK!" she screamed, sending Inuyasha, holding his red cheek, away. "And don't leave any bucket not filled! Because if you do, you will get no food, understood?"

A small group of people walked a road. First there was young girl named Kagome, and right after her walked Miroku the monk and Sango the demon slayer. They had been walking all day. Now they were exhausted and hungry, and heading heading towards the nearest village, in hopes of getting shelter for the night.  
"So near, yet so far..." Kagome sighed as she saw the village in the horizon.  
"I hope we will get shelter..." Sango said. "...with DECENT ways, if possible!"  
"Why do you give me such a look?" Miroku asked with a little laugh. "I never do anything dishonest."  
"Yeah right."

It didn't take long for the group to arrive to the village. Miroku led the group, since he had a great sense to lead them always to the riches house of the village. But this time they couldn't find a rich house. So they had to be satisfied with the first hut they got to.  
"What?!" an old man shouted out as Miroku told him 'the bad news'. "A demon? In my house?"  
"Yes, and it must be exorcised as soon as possible", Miroku nyökkäsi. "Incidentaly _I_ can do it..."  
The old man pushed the trio inside, and the exorcism could start. It took only a few seconds, since all Miroku did was to put a soutra on the wall and seemed to pray or something. Grateful, the old man offered the group a dinner of rice and fish.

"So, you're travellers..." the old man nodded after he had heard the trio's story. "During daytime this whole village is filled with people like you."  
"Really? Why?" Kagome asked.  
"Our village gathers some money by working as a marketplace. Just a while ago we had a big sale, I got some money too..." the man smied, holding a small bag of money in his hand. "I sell differents of kinds of vegetables. A honest way of earning a living. But not everyone's ways are honest..."  
"How come?" Sango wondered.  
"Slavery, kind of..." the old man sighed. "Someones sale hanyous here as slaves. Last time they sold out, not a one hanyou was left."  
Kagome, Sango and Miroku flinched. Kagome dropped her rice cup and almost choked on her rice, starting to cough.  
"W-what kinds of a hanyou?" Kagome asked after coughing. "Oh please, try to remember!"  
"Well..." the old man scratched his head. "Young, even children... And in very bad condition."  
"Was there a dog hanyou?!" all three asked.  
"A one with silver hair and dog ears?!" Kagome demanded. "Please, answer me!"  
The old man almost got scared, and started thinking.  
"I-I'm sorry, I don't know... All I know is that they were sold in castles more of less far ffrom here..."  
'Castles...' Kagome's hopes got up. She was sure Inuyasha had to be one of those hanyous. "Can you tell us a way to any of those castles?"  
"Maybe I could... tell you which way..."  
"Then we're leaving right tomorrow!" Kagome said, and Miroku and Sango nodded.

The sun had gone down, and all the castle was getting to sleep. But two of the workers had to stay up. Inuyasha ja Kuromeru. They had to do their job at night, too.

The door that led to hanyous room was open. Karasu sat in the room on her mattress, while Hinote blew off the candles of the room. Inuaýasha and Kuromeru sat at the doorway between the main corridor and the garden, staring at the moon.  
"You two!" Hinote shouted from the room. "Don't neglect your job. Everyone trusts you to keep demons away! And remember to change shifts every now and then, so you both will get some rest, too."  
"Don't you worry, we know what to do!" Kuromeru shouted. "You go to sleep."  
"As you wish", Hinote agreed and blowed the last candle. "And keep an eye on the ittle one", she said as she pointed at Karasu. After getting a "yeah, yeah" -answer, she closed the sliding doors, disappearing to the dark corridor.

Hours went by, and Karasu slept tight. Inuyasha was now guarding the calste. It was dark and quiet everywhere. Now he sat close to the castle's main entrace. He sighed, bored.  
"Oh, you're here too, Mokumoku", said Kuromeru's voice from the darkness. "Even though I don't think that's your real name..."  
Kuromeru walked out of the shadows and sat down next to Inuyasha. The wolf boy sighed.  
"You have no Iidea how annoying it is to talk to you, when you never answer?"  
'And quess how annoying it iís when everyone keeps repeating that...' Inuyasha said in his head.  
"You know, are really going to stay here?" Kuromeru asked after a short silence. "After all, you didn't get a really good job."  
Inuyasha steared at the wolf boy. Kuromeru sighed and leaned back.  
"I wonder what happened to you...?" he wondered out loud. "I quess I can just... quess."  
'Same here...' Inuyasha agreed and turned his eyes to the moon.


	4. Chapter 4 - Memories

4 - Memories

"What, are you still there?!" Hinote shouted at Inuyasha, who was laying in the middle of the garden's fresh, green grass. "Up, up, get up! Didn't Yun tell you you are being waited for at the kitchen?!"  
Inuyasha shook his head as he got on his feet. He was just about to get on his way to the kitchen, but suddenly he was stopped by the princess of this castle, who got closer to him. Inuyasha took a step back.  
"Don't be shy", Hinote whispered, which made Inuyasha blush grumpily. Now the princess was standing in front of them, smiling like the sun on the sky behind her.  
"Good morning, princess Migoto", Hinote greeted and bowed.  
"Morning", Migoto nodded and turned at Inuyasha. "Mokumoku-chan, I assume?"  
Inuyasha growled a bit, nodded slowly, keeping the 'I'm pissed'-face.  
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the kitchen?" Migoto asked.  
"Ah, I'm sorry, he has just been a bit lazy, that's all!" Hinote tried to explain. "I-I'll take him there at once..."  
"No, actually, please don't", Migoto stopped her, smiling again. "I would like to borrow him for a while, if that's okay."  
"O-of course! If that's what You want!"  
Migoto chuckled and turned towards the more exotic parts of the garden, that surrounded the quality wing.  
"Come on", the princess told the boy and waved him towardss her. Inuyasha didn't move an inch.  
"Go, go!" Hinote whispered and pushed the hanyou away.  
'What the heck does she wan't from me?' Inuyasha murmured in his head and stopped to wait for an answer. But because nothing was heard, Inuyasha had no choice than to follow the girl.

Inuyasha walked behind the princess with his arms crossed, looking suspicious and grumpy. Every now and then Migoto looked over her shoulder to see him.  
After walking a while Migoto stopped in front of a small pond and sat at it's shore. She tapped the grass next to her and Inuyash sat down in his dog-pose, keeping some distance at the girl.  
"Hehe, are you a bit shy?" the princess giggled. What? She, too, thought he was shy? Oh man...  
Inuyasha crowled and turned his eyes towards the water's surface, where he could see the princess' and his own reflections. The girl's expression was always cheerful, happy, laughing, and sunny. Was that girl never sad?  
"I hear you are mute", the princess sighed. "First I tought it wasn't true, but it seems to be... I'm sorry for you."  
As the girl turned his head to the hanyou, she noticed they were looking both straight in their eyes. The hanyou's low growling and an angry face didn't seem to make clear the fact that Inuyasha didn't like the princess.  
"How old are you?" Migoto asked suddenly. Inuyasha growled - he couldn't tell that! So he just shook his head.  
"Show it with your fingers."  
Inuyasha thought about it for a moment. That would be ambarrassing, only under 4-year-olds do it. But he had no choice, so he fist showed five fingers in front of Migoto's face, then five.  
"...15 years, eh?" Migoto ensured and Inuyasha nodded. "You are so you... I am 18."  
'Ya' right, one big of a difference', Inuyasha sighed in his mind. What a tiresome gal.  
Suddenly Inuyasha felt a hand on him ear, petting it.  
'Wh-what the hell are you doing?!' Inuyasha screamed in his head, but only growled out loud. The girl carried on petting, but suddenly Inuyasha didn't want her to stop. Not that he'd like the girl, but... it made him remember something. A memory he had lost... a warm and golden memory.  
For a while the princess carried on petting the dog boy, Inuyasha suddenly turned his head to the princess. He flinched. For a while he could not see the princess, but an other girl... She had a bit shorter hair and brown eyes... Who was she?  
"Uh, Mokumoku-chan...?" Migoto said and stopped the petting. "Mokumoku-chan?"  
'What is this... What was that feeling I just had... I have felt it before! But when?' Inuyasha thought. With a blank face he got up and looked at the skies. He could almost hear a girl laugh, calling his name cheerfully.  
"Moku-" the princess started, but couldn't finish, as Inuyasha walked away like a ghost. Migoto watched as the boy disappeared into the forest. For a while she was quiet, until she slapped herself on her cheeks and blushed.  
'Yes! Yes! I got to talk to him!" Migoto rejoiced and laughed a little. 'I wonder if... he liked me?'

Inuyasha laid on a branch of a huge tree, in it's leaves shadows, again, near the castle's main entrance. This had become his main guardian spot, since he could see practically everything from here. He was still doing his best to try to remember things. Every now and then he felt moments he could be sure he had felt before. It happened often. Inuyasha had been here for about two weeks, and all the time he missed someone. But who?

About an hour went by as Inuyasha snoozed in a tree. He had his reasongs to stay out of the sight of the guards and other servants, because if he would get caught from sleeping when he was supposed to be guarding...  
Well, anyway, the hanyou was woken up by a bell ringing. The whole castle got on their way to the servant's dining room. Yep, it's lunch time.  
The hanyous' room door that led to the garden was slid open, and Hinote called out:  
"Mokumoku and Kuroeru, food!"  
How can anyone so old let out such a horrible noise? Inuyasha jumped down from the tree. Hinote saw him right away, but said nothing, turned away, calling out for Kuromeru.

Inuyasha walked to Hinote, who led him with here to Karasu, who was standing in the doorway. Again, as always, the little girl ran to him and grabbed his arm, smiling and giggling. Inuyasha didn't mind this anymore, since he had learned it was no use to try to get her off with force.  
"Hmph, he will come when he remembers", Hinote sighed as Kuromeru was nowhere to be founf. The priestess led the two hanyous straight to the servants dining hall. People were in line, waiting for food, which was some good smelling (unlike usually) chicken sauce and rice.  
Mrs. Yadda-yadda gave everyone a cup of rice and sauce. But when it was Inuyasha's turn to get food, she just stared at him and snapped at him:  
"And ye didn't come to work today..." she snarled. "I told ye that if..."  
"Calm down, it wasn't his fault today", said Hinote, who was standing in line behind him and Karasu. "Yun had forgotten, and..."  
"Excuses, excuses..." Yadda-yadda snapped and gave the dog boy a a rediculously small portion of food. "And don't you dare to skip your work tomorrow!" she shouted after him.

Inuyasha found himself a calm, silent spot where to eat. Actually that wasn't hard, since even if he would have sat in the middle of the bost busy group of people, those people would be gone whitin a minute or two. He felt like the ugly duckling.

Inuyasha sat at the veranda, in the doorway that led to the garden, starting to eat his rice slowly. And, like he had expected, the little brat joined him happy. She got closer and closer to him, but when she went "over the line", Inuyasha started growling.  
'Back off', he snarled in his head, trying to concentrate in his rice. But then he heard a sob, his attention was turned to Karasu.  
'H-hey...' Inuyasha said in his head and shook the girl tenderly from her shoulders. The girl lift her sad face up to Inuyasha's face. Tears stramed down her cheeks.  
'I don't mean any harm! I just don't want anyone too near, got it? Don't cry!'

Even though nothing was said, Karasu nodded, like she had understood something. As she dried her tears, Inuyasha suddenly saw all those burning red scars that went all over the girl's arms. Inuyasha got closerr to the girl and sniffed her arms. It too him a one whole second to understand where she had got those scars. Those goddamn humans, they had hurt the little one! Had he himself experienced that too?

Yes. He had. Now he remembered it. He remembered how he had escaped his village as a little boy, being chased by humans with torches, ticks and spears. They hounded him, hated and wanted to kill. And his mother nor father weren't there. They were dead. Now he remembered...

Inuyasha returned to preset time and leaned his back to the wall, griwling. His face was angrier that anyone in this castle had seen before. That starteled even Karasu.  
"M-mokumoku-kun?" Karasu whispered scared. Inuyasha turned his angry eyes to her. "Are you angry at me?"  
Now Inuyasha's anger faded away. He just sighed, shook his head and carried on eating.

After eating Inuyasha returned to his guradian dog's job. He would have gone to the kitchen, but he wasn't needed there at the moment, since someone else had done the job to carry the water in the morning, since Inuyasha wasn't there.

Inuyasha circled the castle, jumping from roofs to roofs and trees to trees, trusting especially his sense of smell and hearing. Now he sat at the wet roof of the castle. It was a downpour, and Inuyasha was soaked. Every now and then he shook himself dry like a dog.  
'Hmh, I wish at least one demon would attack... At least something to do...' Inuyasha snarled. This place was so boring, nothing happens. Were those stories about attacking demons even true?

Suddenly something landed on the roof next to Inuyasha. It was Kuromeru, soakedd, too.  
"Hi, Mokumoku", he greeted. "Having a great time guarding?"  
Inuyasha nodded with a grin.  
"They say this place is full of demons", Kuromeru said, shivering. "But none of them are showing up, that's strange..."  
'Tell me about it', Inuyahsa nodded. He and Kuromeru had become good friends, and they talked a lot. Well, Kuromeru did, Inuyasha just nodded and shook his head.

Time went by, it was getting late. Candles inside the castle lit up, as there was strill work to do. The boys still sat on the roof "talking", but that was interrupted by Hinote's worried shout from the castle's main entrance:  
"Karasu! Karasuu!"  
Inuyasha and Kuromeru jumped down from the roof and landed right in front of Hinote. What was going on? That was what Inuyasha would have wanted to ask.  
"Karasu. She's gone", Hinote said, worried.  
"Gone?" Kuromeru repeated.  
"Yes. She was last seen in the kitchen, working, when she suddenly disappeared. Over ten servants are looking for her, but she's nowhere to be found..." Hinoe seemed to be holding back tears. Karasu had become like a grandchild to her. Karasu, too, had got very attached to the old priestess.  
The hanyou boys heard a sob from Hinote, and both whimpered embarrassed. They shared the same trait: they hated to see a woman cry.  
"U-uh... Can we help?" Kuromeru asked and Inuyasha nodded. "We can do our best to help look for her, but I don't think I recognize her scent yet..."  
Inuyasha had an idea! He would recognize it, that's for sure! He poked Kuromeru's side and grinned.  
"What?" Kuromeru asked, but got no answer, as Inuyasha ran away and disappeared to the forest.

Well, it didn't take long untill Inuyasha picked up Karasu's scent in the woods. But unfortunately there were many demons around, Inuyasha could smell them. He could smell them. Now he had to find the little one, and fast, before a demon finds her!

Suddenly a snake demon attacked him from the sky. Inuyasha slashed it in pieces with his claws. Then he saw more demon, diving down towards him from the sky.  
'Hehe, this works for me!' Inuyasha grinned and attacked the demons. Oh, how much he had missed a good fight!

It didn't take more than a few minutes when Inuyasha had finished about twenty demons. They were small, no challenge to him. Whacking them was more like fun, so he survived the battle without any injuries. But now he had better job to do! He sniffed the air, looking for Karasu's scent. After he found it he followed it, he was standing in front of a huge tree. And there she was, sitting at it's roots.  
'Hmh. Come on now', Inuyasha waved the girl towards him. Karasu ran to him, jumped on him with her arms open, and they both crashed on ground.  
"I was so scared!" Karasu cried as Inuyasha got up. He wasn't tender from his nature, and didn't like children, but still took the girl on his back. Karasu almost strangled him, which made Inuyasha grol. Karasu undertood that gesture and loosened her grip a bit. Just before Inuyasha was about to get on his way to the castle, he started hearing large steps, which made the ground shanke. As the steps got closer, Karasu tightened her grip from Inuyasha, and soon a huge demon walked out from behind the tree.

That moment Inuyasha felt his heart beat faster than ever. What, why? He had never seen that demon before! But something about it was familiar, made made him terrified. The scar on his throat started burning and his blind eye started to nettle. He was shaking. Karasu screamed and kicked as hard as she could.  
'Th-that demon...' Inuyasha tought, face pale from fear. Now he remembered; that demon was the one, who had almost killed him about a month ago!  
"Mokumoku-kun, run away! Run! Help!" Karasu cried, but Inuyasha didn't move. And when the demon was about to attack, Inuyasha and Karasu thought their last moment had came...

But then they heard a man's voice shout something. From behind a tree appeared a blank hole, which started sucking in everything. Now Inuyasha woke up from his shock and grabbed a tree, but the demon couldn't do anything. It disappeared to the vortex. In a few seconds te black hole was gone, and behind it stood a man wearing black and violet robes. He wrapped blue beads around his right arm and hand.

Inuyasha let go of the tree he had grabbed to and landed without a sound. Then that strange man noticed those hanyou. He took a few slow steps towards them. That was when Inuyasha decided it was best to run away. He jumped as high as he could and disappeared above the tree branches with Karasu on his back.  
"I-Inu...!" the man cried out and stared after them. For a while he just shook and held his head. Soon two girls came to him. The younger one had a bow and some arrows, the other a huge boomerang.  
"Houshi-sama, are you alright?" the woman with the boomerang asked.  
"Y...Yes, I am", the man nodded slowly, rubbing his eyes. 'But for a while... For a while I thought I saw Inuyasha...'

Inuyasha ran as fast as he could through the forest, killing every single demon that got on his way. Karasu on his back cried and screamed, but Inuyasha didn't care. He wasn't only thinking if that demon; also that man... Inuyasha was sure he had seen him somewhere before...  
Soon Inuyasha slowed down, since now they were back on the castle's entrance. Slowly he walked through the garden towards the hanyou's room. On the hanyou's room's verandah sat desperate Hinote and Kuromeru next to her. Inuyasha let Karasu down from his back, and she ran to the old woman.  
"Hinote-obaachan!" Karasu rejoiced, and Hinote coudn't believe her eyes. The girl hugged her tight.  
"Karasu!" Hinote shouted and hugged her back. "Never, even do that again again! You must never to to the woods again, do you understand?" she said harshly, but still almost crying of joy. Inuyasha walked to them, and Hinote hugged him too. Inuyasha's eyes widened from amazement.  
"And you! Thank goodness you're alright!" she sighed from relief and let his go. Kuromeru was smiling.

Candles in the hanyous' room and beds were made on the floor. Both Inuyasha and Kuromeru laid on their mattresses while Hinote bandaged Karasu's arms. The girl had got only more wounds since the lunch.  
"Why did you run away, Karasu?" Hinote asjed. The girl turned her head aay from Hinote, without answering. "Tell me, Karasu. Why did you run?"  
Karasu shook her head.  
"And where have you got these wounds from?"  
Frist Karasu stayed quiet, but soon, she started ti cry.  
"T-those humans... They..." Karasu cried. "I-I was so scared..."  
"They hurt you?!" Hinote asked horrified. She sure did know how hanyous were treated, but this bad...!  
"Yes..." Karasu nodded. "That's why I ran away. I don't wanna go back there..."  
Hinote stroked the crying girl on her lap and sighed because of anger and sadness.  
"You don't need to cry, it's okay..." Hinote whispered.

Okay, I won't carry on translating this to english unless I get reviews. Evil me, haha. No, seriously.


	5. Chapter 5 - Do You Know Each Other?

5 - Do You Know Each Other?

A week went by, and things hadn't really changed. Karasu peeled potatoes in the kitchen, Kuromeru guarded the castle, Inuyasha helped him and carried water buckets from the river to the kitchen. But one thing had changed; demons had started to shop up since yesterday. The hanyou boys joined the castle's soldiers to fight the demons.

"Look out!" Kuromeru shouted as a snake demon almost crushed Inuyasha. The dog by managed to avoid the snake, and attacked it. He bit its throat as hard as he could, making its blood scatter all around him.

"Be careful with the bow!" a soldier shouted to another, who was just aiming at the snake demon Inuyasha was biting. Soldiers started gathering around around them, and Kuromeru rushed to help his friend.  
"Mokumoku, bite it's carotid artery!" the wolf hanyou shouted and slashed the demon's eye.  
'Easier said than done!' Inuyasha shouted in his head. No matter how hard he bit, he just couldn't get through the snake demon's scales. And just when this couldn't seem to get any worse, a huge, two-headed bird demon attacked them from the sky.  
"H-hyaaargh!" the soldier with the bow cried out and shot the arrow without really amaing - and it hit Inuyasha right in the middle of his back.  
"You idiot!" another soldier shouted at the man who shot the arrow. Inuyasha closed his eyes in pain and held on to the demon with his claws, but couldn't bite hard enough anymore. He couldn't even have held on for much longer, but Kuromeru jumped to him, took him on his back carried him down. Meanwhile the soldiers attacked the demon.  
"Mokumoku! Are you okay, hey?!" Kuromeru asked Inuyasha, worried. The dog boy was breathing slowly. "Can you fight?"  
Inuyasha got up, shaking, and nodded. Of course, since one arrow wouldn't stop him - no way! After a moment of catching his breath he jumped towards the snake and slashed its body in two with his claws. After a scream of pain and a flash of light the snake's body laid on the ground in ten pieces. Inuyasha got up from the ground and shook blood off his hand, without saying a word (of course=). No-one either else said anything, but suddenly the soldiers attacked another demon.  
Kuromeru ran to Inuyasha.  
"Y-you haven't told me you're THAT strong..." Kuromeru wondered. "I mean of course you haven't told me but... Ash, let's just go finish that last demon!"  
Inuyasha nodded determined, and the boys got on their way.

Even though Kuromeru couldn't believe it, that bird demon was the last demon, at least for the night. Killing it took only a few minutes, even when killing the snake took more than an hour. The soldiers exhausted from the fight sighed from relief as the rain washed their armour from blood and dirt.  
"We... Won!" the leading samurai shouted as he raised his katana -sword to the skies. "Three hoorays to Kuromeru and Mokumoku!" he cheered pointing at the two hanyous, who sat in dirt and stared at the soldiers, amazed. They had never experienced being praised by humans.

The soldiers went to find their weapons and any possible victims from the battlefield. Arrows and swords stuck out from the demons' bodies, but, surprisingly, no soldier was seriousy injured.  
But the hanyous were.  
"Oh my dear God!" Hinote cried out as the soldiers brought the hanyou boys to the hanyous room. The boys walked, no, more like limped into the room, and crashed on the floor, exhausted. Karasu and Yun stared at them a bit horrified, and Karasu ran to them.  
"They fought bravely", the leading samurai smiled in the doorway as Hinote shook her head slowly. "If they hadn't finished the demon, we would maybe not be here. I will let the lord know this. Maybe their rank in the castle will improve!"  
"Th-thank you..." Hinote waved after the samurais and turned back to the room. In a few seconds she took the medicine box out of the shelf and put it down on the floor.  
Yun! Go get some warm water so I can clean the boys' wounds!" Hinote ordered, and Yun was straight on her way. Hinote got closer to the hanyous, and didn't like what she saw. Not at all. There was a deep wound on Kuromeru's right shoulder, and an arrow stuck out from Inuyasha's back.  
"You two never cease to amaze me..." the old woman sighed and grabbed bandages from the medicine box.

Kagome, Miroku and Sango had really done all they could, but hadn't got shelter for night from villages for days. So now, too, the trio was sleeping outside in the forest, which was getting on their nerves. They had walked all day, and had lost hope from shelter.  
Kirara had just taken Sango up to the skies, so Sango could see, would there possibly be a village nearby. She scoped throught the rain and fog, and saw some light beneath her.  
"A castle..." Sango thought out loud. She pet Kirara's back, which was a sign to the cat demon to get back.  
"Wel, any villages?" Kagome asked as Sango and Kirara got back from the sky.  
"No, no villages..." Sango grinned. "Something much, much better!"

"Yes! We will get to spend our night in a castle! A real, feudal castle!" Kagome cheered. The trio walked towards the castle, they were almost there. "Think about a room, clean beds and a cup of rice!"  
"Houshi-sama, you'll get us in, wont you?" Sango asked.  
"Eeh..." Miroku tried to laugh.  
"Yes! We have had no food since yesterday!" Kagome cried out.  
"But Sango, you always tell me my ways to get food and shelter aren't acceptable..." Miroku sighed.  
"Yeah, yeah", Sango nodded. "But who cares! Who's first at the castle!"

The trio started running, and in no time they were standing in the castle's garden. Their eyes rested on the beautiful sight they were facing; a huge, japan styled castle, a garden, in which lanterns were shining and fountains running. This sight almost brought tears to their eyes; they were on heaven's entrance!  
But in the castles entrance they were surprised. Miroku had, like always, told the guards his "bad news about demons" and "how they should be exorcised at once". But; these guards didn't let the in. They didnt't move an inch.

"Listen up, monk. We won't listen to that kind of nonsense!" a guard said.  
"What do you mean, 'nonsense'?" Miroku faked to be surprised. "I can feel a strong youki on your castle. It would be better that I exorcise the demons away."  
"You know, we had a huge fight against dozens of demons just a few hours ago, so there can't be much demons around", the other guard snapped. "So, now, get out of he-!"  
"Guards, what's going on there?" a man voice came from the castle. The doors were opened, and the castle's lord peeked out.  
"Milord, these tramps are trying to bum themselves in", tje guard told. "They're telling they can feel youki and..."  
"Please listen to me, I..." Miroku tried to explain, but couldn't finish before the castle's lord started to laugh.  
"A-hah-hahah! I like your attitude, monk!" he grinned and opened the doors. "After all, I am feeling helpful today! Let me offer the night, come on in!"  
Crickets were concerting on the scene, as the guards and wanderers stared at the lord.  
"Come, come on!" the lord said as he turned back in from the castle's doors.  
"Well... As you say!" Miroku laughed out and stepped in, Sango and Kagome after him.

They had a little look around for a moment, until they saw a young servant lady running towards them. She almost ran by them, but the lord of the castle stopped her.  
"Yun, take these wanderers with you and lead them to the quest room", he ordered. "They are our quests."  
"Ah... All right, milord!" Yun bowed and took the lead of the group towards the servants wing. The group left lots of muddy footprints on the floor, which made the cleaning lady cry.  
Yun opened one sliding door and let the group in. The trio could only look around, astoished.  
"So, just feel like home and dry up!" Yun smiled and gave towels to them. "If you want to, you may come the the big hall for dinner any timw you like. We are having a party tonight!"

Kagome, Sango and Miroku dried themselves and enjoyed having finally a place to stay for the night. After all this, Kagome had almost forgotten why they were here in the first place...

Then they heard a knock on the door, and it was slid open. Yun stepped in cheerfully and asked:  
"Would you like to join for dinner? The lord of the castle invited you himseld, and soon the celebration will start! You can make it to the cheers!"

The trio tidied themselves up a bit, and joined Yun on their way to the castle's hall. After endless corridors, crossings and turns Kagome, Sango and Miroku started to wonder about one thing; why could they really feel some youki in this caslte? Thet could feel it, even thoug there shouldn't be any demons around!

Finally they were standing in front of the castle's hall's door. Cheerful talking came out, since the whole castle had joined celebrating. They sat on the floor in small groups, with trays of food in front of them. Yun led the quests through the crowd to a group where she and other servants sat.  
"So, these are the bums?" one girl asked, and Yun noded with a laugh.  
"Yup, bums!" Yun giggled as te trio sat down a bit embarrassed. Just a moment later three servants brought them trays of food. They had a hard time to keep their hands off the food, since their stomachs were crying of hunger. But they were told it was forbidden to eat before the lord had had his speech.  
"Yun, eh... Why are you celebrating?" Kagome asked Yun, who sat next to her. "Is this the lord's birthday?"  
"Yes, or that pretty princesses who's sitting next to him..." Miroku grinned, staring the princess. Sango looked at Miroku grumpily.  
"No, tonight were celebrating..." Yun started, but three chinks stopped whole hall went quiet, and everyone turned towards the lord. "Well, now you'll hear", Yun whispered.

"Dear servants, soldiers", the lord started his speech. "Tonight we are celebrating the fact that we have made it through all these battles against demons. But above all we are celebrating the two brave warriors, who fought with all their hearts today to protect us! Whree hoorays for Kuromeru and Mokumoku!"  
"Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!" the whole hall shouted so loud it could maybe be heard in the neighbor village.  
"And now; let the party begin!" the lord of the castle announced, and everyone started eating. Kagome, Miroku and Sango didn't hesitate, and attacked their rice and chicken.  
"Delicious!" Kagome praised with her food full of rice. "But who were those two warriors? How strange names!"  
"Exactly", Miroku nodded. "Mokumoku – mute, and Kuromeru – black... Why names like that?"  
Well, Kuromeru's hair is black, and Mokumoku got his name from the fact that he is mute", Yun told as she are. "I named him!"

After a while Hinote arrived to the hall's doorway, Karasu clinging to her arm. Yun notified them and got up.  
"HINOTE-SAMAA! Over here!" she waved, and the old lady and the crow girl joined them  
"Aren't they two coming?" Yun asked as Hinote and Karasu sat next to her. The little girl hid behing Hinote, shy.  
"No. They both wanted to rest", Hinote told. "But Karasu came, as you can see.  
"Well, did you hear the hooray-cheers?" Yun asked with a grin. "I have never shouted so loud before!"  
"We sure did. The boys can be proud!" Hinote smiled.  
Then someone appeared in the hall. He had black hair and a black tail. After he found Hinote and her group he walked to them sat next to Hinote.  
"Why, Kuromeru!" Hinote said, a bit amazed. "You did come!"  
"Yea", Kuromeru nodded. "Mokumoku was tried, so I left him to sleep in peace. Besides, I want to celebrate, too!"  
The trio stared at Kuromeru. He reminded them of Koga, with just different clothes and a different coloured tail.

The fun seemed to have no end. The servants and soldiers were telling jokes, stories and gossips, and danced. Someones had got tired and had already gone to bed, but the night was young!  
Kuromeru was reching towards a bottle of sake, but Hinote stopped and slapped his hand.  
"Oh no you don't!" the old lady growled. "It's not good for you. I don't want you to get like that young man over there..." she continued and pointed at Miroku.  
"Sssssangoooo...!" Miroku grinned. He, too, had had a 'little shot' or sake. "Ya' are... beautifulll!"  
"Keep your hands to yourself! Sango cried out as Miroku tried to grope her. She had never seen Miroku this drunk.  
Karasu was one of the tired ones. She slept calmly on Hinote's lap, not minding all the noise. Kagome had a one question in her mind, but didn't have nerve to ask. Finally she took a deep breath and poked Hinote's shoulder.  
"Excuse me, Hinote-sama..." Kagome said a bit shy. "But are those two, I mean Kuromeru and Karasu, youkais?"  
"No, not youkais", Hinote answered, stroking the crow girls hair. "They are hanyous. Wolf- and crow hanyous."  
Kagome almost dropped her rice cup from her hands after the word 'hanyou'.  
"Are there any other hanyous in the castle?!" Kagome asked loud.  
"Yes, one more", Kuromeru said.  
"That's right. It's him and Kuromeru we are celebrating for", Hinote answered. "How come?"  
"May I see him?" Kagome asked with hands crossed.  
"Why?" Hinote asked with a bit cold voice.  
"W-wel... You see, we're looking for one hanyou", Kagome stammered. She told her about the demon, and how Inuyasha had left her in the bush and dissappeared, and how she and her two friends had been looking for him all this time. "...and now we're here."  
"Well, tell me, how is he like", Hinote said.  
"Ahem... A dog hanyou with silver, long hair and golden eyes", Kagome said as Hinote nodded slowly. "He's really grumpy and always cursing."  
"Hmph, that description somewhat does sound like him, but somewhat not", Hinote said. "I wouldn't take you to him for no good. He is not social, not at all. He can't stand unfamiliar humans, maybe he's a bit shy..."  
'Shy? Diesn't like humans?' Maybe it's not him...' Kagome sighed in her head. Inuyasha did like humans – it was a term for the Tesssaiga to work.  
"Well, would you still like to see him?"

Of course Kagome's answer was yes. Hinote took the sleeping Karasu on her back and led Kagome and Sango oout of the hall. Miroku was left to the hall with Yun, to make sure we won't do anything stupid, and to make sure Kuromeru wouldn't touch the sake.

In the servants wing there was a one door, in frot of which they stopped. Hinote slid the open, and Kagome's heart was pounding. Now they were standing in the doorway, but the room was dark, and all they saw was the little rays of moonlight that shined from the small windows from ceiling. But they couldn't see anyone in the room.  
"Mokumoku, are you here?" Hinote called out.  
'Hm? Hinote...?' Inuysha thought. He was laying in the shadows, it the farthest corner of the room.  
"There he is", Hinote whispered to Kagome, who stared at the dark room, maybe a bit scared. Then they heard a thump from the room. Like someone had got up from the floor..  
"Come here!" the old lady orered, and they started hearing steps getting closer. Kagome held her hands on her heart and barely breathed. Her heart beat faster every moment, until the steps stopped. But she still couldn't see anyone, since Inuyasha was still standing in the shadow. He could recignize Hinote's scent, but he could smell two other familiar scent soo! But where, who were them? It was spooky to recognize a smell without knowing who they were.  
"Mokumoku, here are a couple of people who would like to see you", Hinote called out. "Would you please step to the light?"

For a while Inuyasha Inuyasha hesitated, and for a while he felt he should run away. But something within him told him to step out, and so he did. He stepped into the light and sat on the floor in his dog-like pose.

Now Kagome felt like her heart stopped, and even Sango flinched from amazement. None of them could believe it – in front of them stood Inuyasha.  
"I...Inu..." Kagome stammered as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. She took a few slow steps towards the boy and reached to him with her hand. Inuyasha fliched and started backing off as the girl tried to get closer.  
"Inuyasha..."  
How on earth did that girl know his name? Inuyasha wondered about that for a moment. Then he suddenly felt a light hand landing on his bangs, which made him back off fast a few meters.  
"Inuyasha, what is wrong with you?" Kagome asked in tears. She wiped her tears and smiled a bit sad. "It's me, Kagome!"  
'Kago... me?' Inuyasha wondered and showed that with an astonished face. Kagome could undertand that and nodded. But still Inuyasha didn't get closer to the girl, nor let her touch him.  
Kagome's hand started shaking, and she backed off one step. She did try to fight back her tears, but started to cry. She turned around and ran away, leaving Sango and Hinote staring after her. Even Inuyasha stepped out from the room. But the girl was already gone.  
Sango stared at Inuyasha silently. There he sat, in his dog-like pose, right between her and Hinote, just like nothing had happened. Even when he hadn't seen Kagome in almost a month, and had even made her cry. He was like nothing. He was like a different person.  
"Well, is he the one you're looking for?" Hinote asked the silent Sango, who nodded slowly as an answer. "Mokumoku", the old lady continued. "Do you know each other?"

Kagome had ran out of the castle and sat now on it's main entrance's stairs, crying like the night sky above her. She was so happy that she had finally found Inuyasha, but also depressed, because Inuyasha had acted like he didn't even know her!  
'Mokumoku...' Kagome thought and turned her eyes to the heavy, black clouds. 'Mokumoku, am I right...?'

-

Okay now... REVIEW. Please?

And even though this may sound like the end is near, it isn't. Not yet. I can't remember how many chapter there are, but let me quess... maybe 4 or 5? Something like that.

There are days I do nothing else than translate the fic, and then there are a few days I have no inspiration. But, again: reviews - inspiraton - text.


	6. Chapter 6 - Feeling

Sorry I haven't updated. Just no inspiration. :/ But: reviews, please?

6 – The Feeling

Kagome was woken up when the first rays of the rising sun shone above the lands of Japan. She sat up instantly, yawning and having a look around.  
Well well, Miroku had made it back to the guest room, not fallen asleep in the hall. He was sleeping quietly pretty far away from her and Sango, who was still asleep, with Kirara curled up beside her.  
Kagome got up and walked to the guest room's door, where she had left her shoes. She put them on and had a peek at the corridor.  
'Should I go and ask someone...?' Kagome thought and closed the door quietly, not wanting to wake up her friends. She walked the corridor for a while, until she met Yun, who was mopping the corridors in hurry.  
"Good morning, Yun-san!" Kagome greeted and ran to her.  
"Morning, Kagome-chan!" Yun answered and leaned to her mop.  
"Being busy?" Kagome guessed, and Yun nodded.  
"Can you believe it: I am supposed to clean the whole servant's wing before the breakfast is served... I simply can't!" the chinese girl complained. "And there's no-one to help me!"  
Kagome would have had a word with the castle's lord, because she would have wanted to get a job. The only problem was, that she had no idea who to talk to, where and when. So now, when she had nothing better to do...  
"Where are the mops?" Kagome asked. "I would love to help you out!"

Yun led Kagome to the kitchen's door, in which were maybe dozens of mops and buckets leaning towards it. Inuyasha seemed to start his chores early in the morning. Kagome grabbed one bucket, Yun got them a mop and a brush, and so the cleaning started.

First the men's wing, all it's corridors and halls. No-one was asleep anymore. Next they headed to the womens wing. Kagome and Yun were desperately trying to get a ingrainedd stain off the floor, but nothing helped. Kagome ws starting to wonder was this humane give a one person all this work to do?

Then she got other things to worry about, when one sliding door a few meters away opened, and three hanyous walked out, Hinote behind them. Kagome stopped to stare at them, especially that boy with dog ears.  
"All right now, Kuromeru get to your work!" Hinote rushed, sending Kuromeru on his way. He ran away, passing Kagome and Yun. Kagome turned back at Inuyasha, and noticed he was coming towards her.  
Kagome stared at Inuyasha all quiet. First the hanyou's face was blank, but when he noticed Kagome was staring at him, his face turned into something like "don't stare at me!"  
"Oh, have you got aa job from the master of the castle?" Hinote asked Kagome, who was still staring at Inuyasha. "Hello?" Hinote waved her hand in front of the girl's face, which woke her up from her trance.  
"Huh? What? N-no, I... I would like to have a job I just don't know here to go to..." Kagome explained. "Should I... go to the master?"  
"Hmm. Actually you could come with us. You see, we are just about to go to him", Hinote nodded. Kagome's face lit up and she got with them.

As the group walked the corridors, Kagome wanted to say something to Inuyasha. But always, when she took a step closer to him, the dog boy noticed it and started growling quitely.  
Soon they arrived to the hall of the castle's lord. Kagome, Karasu and Inuyasha were wondering, why did servants run in and out from the hall, but they got their answer right after they stepped in. The partying had been harsh. There were stains of sake, rice and chicken everywhere, and dozens of servants, trying to clean them. But still, the lord of the castle sat there, on his throne, like nothing.  
"Milord", Hinote asked, bowing. "You wanted to see us?"  
"Yes", the lord said. "I would have a few words with Mokumoku."  
"Ah..." Hinote nodded. "Ehm, if You don't mind, I will take Karasu to the kitchen while talk."  
"All right", the lord complied, and Hinote walked out out the hall hand in hand with Karasu. Kagome was standing there like a tree, untill Hinote grabbed her sleeve and dragged her with her.  
"We'll be back soon. Then you can ask for a job from the lord."

As the women were out of the hall, the lords waved Inuyasha towards him.  
"Liste up, Mokumoku", he started. "First, I want to thank you from what you and Kuromeru did yesterday."  
Inuyasha didn't even look at the lord. He just stared at a yellow butterfly, that had flown into the room from the door that led to the garden.  
"Krhm!" the lord snarled to get the boy's attention. "So, as I was about to say... Minding you str... -please look at me! -... strength, I have made a desicion to give you a better job. You're now a soldier. Are you interested?"  
"Inuyasha nodded, still looking at the butterfly that had landed on floor, about one meter away from him.  
"You are, hm?" lord ensured, and the hanyou nodded. "In that case, you carry on with your old jobs, but you get better salary. But! You still must'nt act bossy to anyone status higher than a cleaner. Do you understand me?"  
Then Hinote returned to the hall, hand in hand with Kagome. Inuyasha waved at Hinoote, who waved back, smiling a bit surprised. She sat next to Inuyasha, and Kagome next to her. The girl looked at Inuyasha, melancholic, getting nothing back. Inuyasha didn't even notify her.  
"May I ask you, what were you talking about?" Hinote asked, wondering why Inuyasha was so cheerful.  
"I gave him a better job. He's a soldier now", the lord anwered. "But I think he is more interested in that yellow butterfly than his promotion..."  
"Well, it's nice to see him smile", Hinote said, smiling, but the hanyou just carried on, teasing the poor butterfly. "Hey!" the old woman snapped. "Try to behave!"  
"Well, why are you, young girl, here?" the lord asked Kagome. "What's you'r name?"  
"Um... Kagome, milord!" Kagome answered. "Well... I... Please give me a job!" she said, bowing.  
"Hmm... I wouldn't like to get bad reputation from using children as workers... You are so young after all", the lord said. For some reason he didn't mind using hanyou children as workers. "What job would you like?"  
"Well... How about a cook? I can cook! Or maybe a servant! Or both!" Kagome listed.  
"Both...? Are you sure? Because if you want to, you're hired!"  
"Thank you, milord!" Kagome thanked and bowed again.  
As Kagome carried on thanking the lord, two sevant ladies walked to the room. One of them was Yun, the other one Kagome didn't know yet.  
"She is now working here. Give her proper clothes and help her to get started", the lord ordered. "You can start cleaning up the corridors."  
"Yes, milord!" both servant girls shouted out.  
"Hinote, she will come with you. Am I right that there were a few mattresses free? Well, anyway; Hinote and Mokumoku, listen to me!" the lord announced, and the dog boy and the old woman stopped. "We have invited a doctor here to see if there is anything we can do about Mokumoku's eye and voice. So, be ready. He will be here this afternoon."  
"Really? Oh thank you, thank you, milord!" Hinote thanked. But Inuyasha didn't get excited. He didn't bellieve in miracles, which he would need to get better.

Yun and the other servant girl took Kagome with them, giggling like teen girls, because new friends were always welcome.  
"Wonderful! You got a job!" Yun cheered. "Come. I'll show you, where you'll sleep! And you'll get proper clothes instead of those weird ones your'e wearing."

And soon Kagome was standing at the guest room's door, wearing servant's clothes and a white apron, plus a yellow head scarf on her head. She knocked the door. After a while she started hearing steps from the room, and Sango opened the door.  
"Ka-Kagom!" Sango shouted out. "What is this new clothing about, if I may ask?" she laughed.  
"I got a job! Now it's your turn!" Kagome said. "I mean, assuming we will be staying here for a while, we will have to earn our food and shelter."  
"Hm, yes, did DID find Inuyashsa..." Sango sodded guietly. "Have you got any contact with him yet?"  
"No..." Kagme answered. But she gave out a fake smile and changed the subject: "Well, let's go to meet the lord of the castle! You could both both get jobs as warriors!"  
"I don't think so..." Sango rolled her eyes, moving out of Kagome's way, so she could see the room, and Miroku, who was still laying on his mattress like a dead salmon.  
"He's badly hungover from yesterday. I, too, feel a bit weak. I don't think the lord will accept us in this condition."  
"Yeah, I think you're right", Kagome nodded. "But you can show everyone what you've got when demons attack here next time. Not that we would be staying here for very long time..."  
"So Inuyasha hasn't even said anything to you yet?"  
"No", Kagome sighed. "But the people in this castle say he's mute. Maybe he just doesn't want to talk..." she said, because she just didn't want to believe the fact that he might really be unable to talk.  
"He also acts like he doesn't know you", Sango added. "It's like he doesn't remember us..."  
"What are you talking about?" asked Miroku's low voice from the room. Kagome and Sango both sighed.  
"...Well, I have to get to my chores", Kagome said and turned around. "The lord told me you can stay here for at least tonight, so when you hear the castle's bell, you can come for a lunch to the servant's dining hall", the girl told.  
"Memorized!" Sango waved after the girl.

Kagome was finished with her chores within an hour. She had mopped some corridor floors, which were shining like mirrors. Now she was told to go wash the floors of the bathroom, but the only problem was, she had no idea where the bathroom was.  
After looking around for a while Kagome met the master of the castle.  
"Ah, so here you are!" he greeted. "I have heard you have been hardworking! Keep up the good work!"  
"Thank you", Kagome smiled. "But, excuse me... May I ask one thing+"  
"Well?"  
"Where... Where is the bathroom? I was told to go wash it..."  
The master looked at the girl a but stunned.  
"What? Has no-one showed you around yet?" he asked. Kagome shook her head. "Follow me, we will find you a guide."

For a while Kagome followed the master around the castle, but there was so much work to do, that no servant had time to guide Kagome. Finally, when Kagome and the lord walked the garden's verandah, the lord stopped when he saw Inuyasha sitting in a tree, on guard.  
"Mokumoku!" the lord cried out, and the hanyou turned his grumpy face to those two. "This is Kagome, our new servant. Since you seem bored, and Kuromeru, too, is guarding, you can show her around!"  
Inuyasha growled quietly. What was this man, stupid or what? Sending a mute boy to give her a tour?  
"All right. When you find the bathroom, you can stay there and do your chores", the lord said and pused Kagome closer to Inuyasha. "If the dog boy doesn't behave, let me know."  
"Uh..." Kagome nodded slowly as the lord walked away. Kagome couldn't barely watch towards Inuyasha, who was standing behind her. Why would she be bashful with him? No way! So she turned around and was just about to say something, but the boy was sanding there, waving at him, like he was asking her to follow him.

The tour Inuyasha led was certainly not very instrucive, as Inuyasha's desperate attempts to tell Kagome which place was which and so on without being able to talk were just doomed.  
"You know, Inu,,, I mean Mokumoku", Kagome said as they walked one of the castle's million corridors. "Don't you really remember me?"  
Inuyasha looked behind his shoulder at Kagome and shook his head with a grumpy face.  
"So you dont... remember when I freed you from Goshinboku and broke the Shikon jewel with my arrow?"  
But Inuyasha just kept quiet.  
'Could it really be he has lost his memory?' Kagome wondered in her head.

Inuyasha opened one door and Kagome looked in.  
"Ahhh", she nodded. "This is the dining hall?"  
Inuyasha shooked his head annoyed. He started to wave his hands to tell the girl something.  
"Uhh... The master's childhood room?" Inuyasha shook his head.  
"The third women's bedroom?" Inuyasha shook his head harder.  
"Dressing room?"  
Now Inuyasha had had it, slammed the door shut right before Kagome's face and carried on his tour. He never even gave a look at her, but that was more because he was feeling strangely anxious being near her. That girl made him remember weird things, but he couldn't recognize her. Who was she?

"Have you been here for long time?" Kagome asked Inuyasha, who shook his head. "No? Well, where did you live before?"  
First Inuyasha didn't do anything to answer, but suddenly stopped and sighed. After a while he shrugged.  
"What happened before you came here?"  
Inuyasha turned around, facing Kagome, growling angrily. Stop asking! But that didn't scare Kagome.  
"What happened to you family?" she asked.  
Inuyasha's angry face turned to a face of a lost child. He kept his eyes far from Kagome, shrugged again and sighed.  
"So you dont know", Kagome sighed and carefully placed her hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. Inuyasha flinched, but didn't stop the girl.

"Kagome and Mokumoku!" Hinote's voice interrupted them from nearby. The old lady walked behind the teens, which made them blush. "Excuse me, did I interrupt something?"  
"N-no!" Kagome said her cheeks red, as Inuyasha shook his head. Hinote examined their faces and smiled.  
"Well, come with me, Mokumoku", Hinote said. "The doctor is waiting for you."

"O-o-okay... s-say AAA!" the shaking doctor said to Inuyasha, who was sitting in front of him. The hanyou opened his mouth, baring his sharp teeth. "The doctor put a wooden stick in his mouth, but Inuyasha didn't let out a sound,  
"Aaaa!" the doctor repeated, but no use.

Kagome was washing the floor of the hanyous room, listening to what the doctor will say. But the poor doctor didn't have a clue his patient would be a hanyou when he was summoned here.  
"P-please dont bite..." the doctor pleade his face pale from feark, starting to feel Inuyasha's jaws and throat.  
"Calm down, he wont bite you", Hinote sighed.

For a few more times the doctor asked Inuyasha to say something, checked his throat, and finally gave up.  
"So, Im sorry to tell you... My diagnosis", the doctor started. "His vocal chords have been destroyed. It seems that you have been damaged lately, since you have that scar on your throat, hmm?"  
¨Inuyasha nodded.  
"That means I have to tell you, that you will never be able to talk again", the doctor sighed with a sad face. Kagome, who just had almost whole floor cleaned, had now stopped still. She could not believe her ears. Anyone else in the room wasn't surpised though.  
"You're permanently mute, and the same goes with that eye of yours. It cannot be cured, it is blind", the doctor carried on. "You can always try, but chances of recovering are one of a million."

After the doctor left, Kagome tried to carry on mopping, but all she could think of was the horrible fact, that Inuyasha would never let out a sound. Never. No horrible cursing, no screaming, no roaring, no howling, no shouting, no barking or insulting. No more words of caring, nothing cute and friendly. Nothing.

"Are you alright, child?" asked Hinote, who was standing on the doorway  
"Y-yeah, I am..." Kagome answered, and started clean the floor all fours.  
"Will you come for dinner?"  
"I'l be there. Go on."

Kagome closed her eyes and leanedin her hands. She felt like crying, She hear steps leaving the room, and thought that Hinote, Inuyasha and Karasu would be gone. So she stopped holding back her tears. She started crying.  
Then a shadow covered Kagome, making her feel someone was there. The boy sat in front of her in his dog-like pose, with a grumpy face. He tried to say something.  
"S-stop crying, huh? Kagome asked between sniffling. "You don't like it when girls cry."  
Inuyasha's eyes widened from surprisement, because if he coudl, he would have said exactly those words. This girl really is something he had met. But who? Were they maybe friends? Close ones?

The hanyou shook his head and stood up. He looked down at her eyes and gave her his hand, Kagome was surprised, but grabbed his hand. Inuyasha helped her up. For a little moment they stared at each others' eyes, until he turned around and walked away. Kagome carried on moppig, until she heard growling from the door. The boy hadn't left.  
'D-did he wait for me?' Kagome wondered. She walked to the door. Inuyasha stepped to the corridor and waved Kagome to follow him. She ran to him. As Kagome walked about two meters from him, he could the scent of this girl.

Yes! That was something he had been missing... 


End file.
